1. Field
The present specification generally relates to methods for separating glass substrates and, more specifically, to methods for scribing and separating strengthened glass substrates.
2. Technical Background
Thin glass substrates have a variety of applications in consumer electronic devices. For example, glass substrates may be used as cover sheets for LCD and LED displays incorporated in mobile telephones, display devices such as televisions and computer monitors, and various other electronic devices. Cover sheets used in such devices may be formed by sectioning or separating a large glass substrate into a plurality of smaller glass substrates. For example, glass substrates may be separated by scribe-and-break techniques. However, when scribe-and-break techniques are utilized to separate strengthened glass, such as ion-exchanged glass, uncontrollable full-body separation or shattering may occur rather than the formation of a scribe line. The uncontrolled separation generally leads to poor edge characteristics or complete destruction of the glass substrate. Further, the scoring device used to score the strengthened glass may not be able to penetrate the compressive surface of the strengthened glass, thereby preventing the formation of a scribe line.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative methods for forming scribe lines and separating strengthened glass substrates.